


Aren't You A Little Young To Be Court Wizard?

by TypingMonkey (purty64)



Category: Inn Between, Inn Between (Podcast)
Genre: Panic Attacks, anyways., indirect insults, like I guess this could be tagged bullying but I don't know enough about that to do it, like they're not to his face but he hears them, me? uncomfortable with explicit romance? it's more likely than you think, relationships a little ambigious cause I'm aro and I want it to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23047216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purty64/pseuds/TypingMonkey
Summary: Meltyre is incredibly, shockingly young to be the Court Wizard. But youth does not equate with incompetence, as some may think.
Relationships: Meltyre & Sterling Whitetower, Meltyre/Sterling Whitetower
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Aren't You A Little Young To Be Court Wizard?

**Author's Note:**

> tryin my hand at writing stuff I like, actually broke a thousand words? maybe? damn okay

**trepverter** \- _a witty response or comeback you think of only after it’s too late to use_

* * *

Meltyre sat in the garden, the quiet one with the waterfall and the birds, where almost no one went, turning his hat over and over in his hands.

Thinking.

Fixating.

Turning- _turning-_ over in his mind.

* * *

_He's just a child, how could he be..?_

_Nepotism, I think. Did you hear he was hired by the Princess?_

_He helped rescue the Queen, didn't he?_

_Bullshit. I bet he was holding her hostage._

_Nepotism sounds more likely, honestly. Have you seen him with the Princess? Like a house on fire._

_Could be an act._

_Lay off, do you really think she'd let someone push her around, now? That she's back on her home turf?_

_Oh sh- guys shut up, it's-_

* * *

"Meltyre?"

His fingers curled tigher into the brim of his hat. _He_ curled tighter around it, the rough surface of the stone bench picking at his robe. Maybe- maybe if he didn't respond th- h- whoever it was would go away.

"Meltyre?"

Closer now. With a jolt he swung his legs over the bench, falling into the bushes behind it, crawling underneath and back and back and if he was quick enough maybe maybe maybe he wouldn't be spotted

(there wasn't even anything to be afraid of if he _was_ he'd just be _seen_ and he couldn't stand to be _seen_ right now)

footsteps. tap tap tapping beside the roses and waterfall and stream and getting closer but it's fine if you can't see them they can't see you right and they're getting closer and   
stopping   
tap tap   
tap

tap.

and   
"... Meltyre..?"   
and   
_go away go away go away go away go away go **away**_

"I know..." a breath and he's still _there_ "I know that sometimes... you get too- worked up, is I think how you once put it." and

the hat

his hat

"And I don't want to push, I know" he laughs a little, and it's nice a little "that doesn't work. Not with you. But if you do want to talk, or- not talk, I'll be here." 

_Promise? I don't-_

"I won't make you do anything you don't want to" said quietly so quietly so _gently_ and

the leaves rustle

Meltyre creeps out from behind the bushes, and Sterling's body language makes it clear he knew he was in there, even if he didn't know exactly where. And he's looking at him, oh so gently, even in his full Crown Guard get up, the plate armour and mail and the sword at his hip with his helmet-

on the bench. Meltyre's hat in his hands.

~~_sorry_ ~~

"What for?"

~~_I I  
'm   
for being inconvenient I'm inconvenient and annoying and I'm too much_~~

"No, no," gentle, gentle, "Can you come here?" and he shuffles forward, through the branches that catch on his cloak and oh they're probably ruining the threading and he should have gone around

and Sterlings hand is on his elbow and his hat is on his head

"You don't, _inconvenience_ me." lips pressing against his forehead. "I care about you, and I want you- to be _happy,_ Meltyre. Can you look at me?"

His eyes are green. Or maybe blue. Beautiful.

"You deserve to be happy." and then they are blurry, why are they blurry? and oh, he's crying and Sterling is shushing him and wrapping his arms around his thin, thin frame that won't stop shaking and is that really him does he really sound like that? he should be quieter he'll draw attention

"Shhh, you're alright, you're safe, shhhhh," and he _cries_.

* * *

_-Sterling_

_... shit._

_Good morning._

_Good morning Captain_

_Good morn_

_Good mo_

_Good_

_Did you know,_

_(shit)_

_that these hallways echo in such a way that you won't hear yourself, but someone at the other end can hear you clear as if they were standing right beside you?_

_...._

_~~fuck~~_

_We didn't mean-_

_I don't **care** what you meant, Meltyre is a member of the Queen's Court, and you should not be speaking of him in such ways, no matter who might hear you._

_We're sorry-_

_As you should be! How dare you? Accusing him of holding the Princess hostage, or Gods forbid the Queen herself? You know that under certain circumstances that could be considered treason, don't you?_

_Captain, we didn't-_

_oh gods-_

_are we going to be hanged-?_

_**You** to a one are incredibly lucky that I am letting you off with a warning. However, if I hear that any of you have made even the barest slight against him in the future, I will not let you off so easily. Am I understood?_

_yes of course_

_thank you_ _Captain_

_Don't thank me. Get out of my sight._

* * *

"Princess Marie is too moral to- she wouldn't hire someone just cause she liked them. Not if they didn't know what they were doing."

"I'm sorry?"

"I could have- said that. Earlier."

"... ah. You were there, then."

nod

"May I ask, where..?"

Just around the corner.

"In one of the niches?"

yea.

"I see."

pulls his hat down to hide just a little

"I could still go and punish them."

no no that's fine they don't

"Meltyre. I won't do anything you don't want me to."

... yea. yea. okay.

Hesitatingly, Sterling lifted his arm and placed it around Meltyre's shoulder, who leans into him. "I'm sorry you had to hear that."

... is that

"No. Most people aren't like that. They trust the Queen and Princess to chose their advisors, unlike those-"

Sterling. you don't have

A deep breath. "My apologies." He looked down at Meltyre. "Are you feeling any better?"

Meltyre hesitates, then nods. "...I think so."

"Good."

"... hey Sterling?"

"Yes Meltyre?"

"Can I- can I come find you? If I need to?"

"Of course."

"Even- when it's a weird time?"

Another kiss upon the forehead, and a smile. "My door is always open to you, even when I don't have one." That made Meltyre laugh a little, against the smooth metal of Sterling's chestplate. "Alright. Next time, I'll go to your office then."

"If that would make you feel safer, please do."

"I think... it might."

Meltyre closed his eyes, and finally let himself relax. Perhaps next time, he wouldn't have to crawl through the garden in order to feel safe. Maybe, Sterling was enough.


End file.
